Backyard Blogging.

Keep Mosquitoes Away from Your Swimming Pool

With our mild winter, we bet you agree the mosquitoes are thick this summer! Mosquitoes love water because they require it to breed. This is why our rainy spring has led to a mosquito-filled summer.

In this article, we’re going to talk about how to keep mosquitoes away from your swimming pool.

Get Rid of Breeding Grounds

Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water. Your first step is to get rid of any standing water. That means puddles, tree holes, old tires, buckets, potted plant trays and plastic covers.Change the water in bird baths, fountains and rain barrels at least once a week.

If your cover is on your swimming pool, make sure to remove the water from it. Don’t let it sit. We’ve got products to help you keep water off your pool or hot tub cover.

Clean Pool Toys

Dump water out of pool toys, rafts and other pool equipment after each use. Let them dry in the sun before storing. As we mentioned earlier, old, stagnant water is a common breeding area for mosquitoes, and standing water in toys and rafts is the perfect invitation.

Swimming at Night

Mosquitoes are often at their worst at dusk and during the evening. Replace your outdoor lights with yellow bug lights. These lights tend to attract fewer mosquitoes. You might find they help you get from house to pool without an attack!

The Neighbor’s Pool is a Breeding Ground

Unfortunately some of you may have a neighbor who doesn’t take care of their swimming pool. Or, you may live near a house that no one is living in. For whatever reason – they go on vacation, the kids have left home, or they don’t have time tor money to care for their pool – your neighbor’s pool has become an eyesore and a big problem.

When pools are not kept clean and filtered they can turn into a perfect mosquito habitat. Pools that are full of algae and fallen tree leaves are the perfect food source for mosquito larvae, and the egg-laying mosquito knows it.

Did you know that ONE unmaintained pool can breed MILLIONS of mosquitoes. Once grown, they will bite you and all of your neighbors. If you have a neighbor with a pool like this, you can contact the City of Wichita’s Nuisance Department.

What If That Pool is Yours?

What if the breeding ground is actually your pool?

If you don’t plan to use your pool, cover it to prevent a swamp. Maintain a minimum chlorine level of 1.0-3.0 PPM because even with a cover on the pool, it will get algae if the water is warm. Lift up the corners of the cover to add sanitizer every 2 to 4 weeks depending on how hot the weather is. If you don’t winterize your pool, you can still run the pump once a week to circulate the water and distribute the sanitizer.

Be a good neighbor and take care of your pool before a problem starts!

Questions?

If you have more questions, please call or stop by one of our stores.We can help you make a plan to properly maintain your pool this summer for maximum enjoyment and help you keep the mosquitoes away from your pool!